54 Ways You Can Help the Homeless
Inspirational Book Offers Practical Ideas for Helping Those in Need
Aug 26, 2009
Charles A. Kroloff’s 54 Ways You Can Help the Homeless offers a variety of practical activities for addressing the problem of homelessness, as well as refuting common misconceptions about the homeless.
Debunking Myths About the Homeless
A number of misconceptions persist about the homeless. For example, many believe that the homeless either choose to be that way or are to blame for their misfortune, when in fact, just 6% of the homeless are without homes by choice, and the majority of homeless individuals are down on their luck due to job loss, divorce, illness, or other unfortunate life events. Almost 25% of the homeless are children.
Another common assumption is that the homeless are all drug addicts or alcoholics, but research indicates that substance abusers comprise approximately 25% of the homeless population. This group overlaps with the mentally ill homeless population, which represents about one-quarter of the homeless overall. Also, contrary to popular belief, many homeless people have high school diplomas and some have even completed higher education.
Many people are surprised to learn that one in four homeless people are employed, in some cases full time, but minimum wage does not provide enough for them to eat and pay their rent. There are plenty of employed homeless people who have had to make the devastating choice between food and shelter. Disabled war veterans, AIDS victims, and elderly people who are unable to continue paying rent on their fixed pensions are also overrepresented among the homeless. In addition, there are many people who are so impoverished that a single crisis would cause them to lose their homes.
Some Ideas for Helping the Homeless
Kroloff offers a number of great ideas for helping the homeless. Some are quick and easy, while others require a more sustained commitment. The following are a few suggestions from the book:
- When going out, bring fast-food gift certificates to hand out to homeless people.
- Engage in fundraising activities such as craft sales and donate proceeds to shelters and soup kitchens.
- Donate clothing, bags of groceries, and personal care items such as new toothbrushes and toothpaste to shelters or agencies that help the homeless.
- Volunteer at a shelter or soup kitchen – this can involve everything from preparing and serving food to providing much-needed professional services (medical, dental, psychiatric, legal, etc.).
- Educate children about who the homeless really are and the ways in which they can help, such as donating toys that are still in good condition to homeless children at shelters.
- Learn about local shelters, services, charities, and other assistance available to the homeless, and carry printed lists of these services along with addresses and contact information to hand out with food, spare change, or gift certificates – many homeless people are unaware of the services available in their communities.
- Start a Second Harvest Program if there isn’t one in the community.
- Join Habitat for Humanity to build homes for the homeless.
- When voting, make homelessness a key issue – contact government representatives (personal visits are most effective, though letters are also influential) and express willingness to support programs such as affordable housing, health care, job training, and other services that will help to prevent or eliminate homelessness.
- Buy 54 Ways You Can help the Homeless – all profits from the sale of the book are donated to organizations that help the homeless.
Further Reading
For fundraising ideas, see How to Raise Money to Pay Large Vet Bills. These methods can also be used to raise money for homeless shelters and poverty relief organizations.
Those who are also interested in helping homeless animals as well may wish to read How to Help Homeless Pets.
 |
